WHAT: Filmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo with mainly non-professional actors including the multi-award-winning Rachel Mwanza, this film concentrates on child soldiers. I have not seen it.
WHERE/WHEN: At the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, at 8:30 PM.
WHY: The Rafael is has a new calendar available at Frisco Bay cinephile hotspots and as a pdf online. Some potential highlights include a January 31 screening of the 1926 silent film Sparrows starring Mary Pickford (an early start to a substantial Pickford celebration at various local venues in February), a sequel to last year's subscription-only CFI Film Club and a March 1-3 return of the International Buddhist Film Festival Showcase that includes a rare showing of Naomi Kawase's The Mourning Forest, which you probably missed at Cinequest 2008. But right now the theatre hosts For Your Consideration, a spotlight on the Foreign-Language Film Oscar hopefuls from 14 different countries. Of course, the actual nominees were announced Thursday, so most of these hopefuls would be better described as "former hopefuls"- but not War Witch, which was nominated as Canada's submission and still has a shot to win. Of the other nominees, Austria's Amour is currently screening in 35mm at the Clay and the Guild, and will arrive at the Rafael January 18th. Chile's first-ever nominee No will be released there in March. Norway's Kon-Tiki plays there tomorrow night, but only for California Film Institute members. Denmark's A Royal Affair left Frisco Bay theatres on Thursday.
HOW: I'm not sure how War Witch will screen. The Rafael has both DCP and 35mm capability.
This was a strong movie, I'd missed
ReplyDeletelast fall at Calgary and Mill Valley fests so glad for the opportunity to see. It manages to show the richness of the culture- the music, the food, the color, the customs- despite the disturbing subject, A lyrical interlude in which the heroine and her beau The Magician try to find a rare white rooster was my favorite part.
I was also quite taken with the 2011 Uruguay entry, The Delay, which makes effective use of widescreen digital camerawork, especially in the scenes set in the deserted Buceo area You should be aware that unless noted as film most of the time Rafael is doing their new movies on video,Programmer Richard Peterson is a friend going back to Nedw York days but we obviously don't agree on this
I guess they want to show off their fancy new digital projectors. Wonder how Sparrows will screen...
ReplyDeleteSparrows is listed as 35mm
ReplyDeleteIt was reported today, Wednesday, in the Canadian press that War Witch (under its original title, Rebelle) leads the pack for the newly formed Canadian Screen Awaeds with 12 nominations